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OCTOBER 11
2.when the “firstborn”is one of a class,the class is in the plural form (v.18; Rom.8:29),but “cre-
ation,”the class here, is in a singular form;
3.if Paul was teaching that Christ was a created being,he was agreeing with the heresy he was
writing to refute; and
4. it is impossible for Christ to be both created and the Creator of everything (v. 16).
Thus Jesus is the firstborn in the sense that He has the preeminence (v. 18) and possesses the
right of inheritance “over all creation”(Heb. 1:2; Rev. 5:1–7,13). He existed before the creation and is
exalted in rank above it.
The false teachers had incorporated into their heresy the worship of angels, including the lie
that Jesus was one of them, merely a spirit created by God and inferior to Him. Paul rejected that
and made it clear that angels, whatever their rank, whether holy or fallen, are mere creatures, and
their Creator is none other than the preeminent One, the Lord Savior, Jesus Christ (v. 16).The pur-
pose of His catalog of angelic ranks is to show the immeasurable superiority of Christ over any
being the false teachers might suggest.

this place, in the land that I gave to your
OCTOBER 11 fathers forever and ever.
“Behold, you trust in lying words that can-
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not profit. Will you steal, murder, commit
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Jeremiah 7:1–8:22 adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal,
and walk after other gods whom you do not
The word that came to Jeremiah from the 10
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7 LORD, saying, “Stand in the gate of the know, and then come and stand before Me in
this house which is called by My name, and
LORD’s house, and proclaim there this word,
say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abomina-
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tions’? Has this house, which is called by My
name, become a den of thieves in your eyes?
Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the LORD.
7:1 The word that came. This was Jeremiah’s 12 “But go now to My place which was in
first temple sermon (v. 2); another is found in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and
chapter 26. God was aroused against the sins see what I did to it because of the wickedness
He names (vv. 6,19), especially at His temple of My people Israel. And now, because you
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becoming a den of thieves (v.11).The point of have done all these works,” says the LORD,
this message,however,was that if Israel would “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speak-
repent, even at this late hour, God would still ing, but you did not hear, and I called you, but
keep the conqueror from coming (vv.3,7).They you did not answer, therefore I will do to the
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must reject lies such as the false hope that
peace is certain, based on the reasoning that house which is called by My name, in which
the Lord would never bring calamity on His you trust, and to this place which I gave to you
own temple (v. 4). They must turn from their and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.
15 And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have
sins (vv.3,5,9) and end their hypocrisy (v.10).
cast out all your brethren—the whole posteri-
ty of Ephraim.
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and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, all you of “Therefore do not pray for this people, nor
Judah who enter in at these gates to worship lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make inter-
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the LORD!’ ” Thus says the LORD of hosts, the cession to Me; for I will not hear you. Do you
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God of Israel: “Amend your ways and your not see what they do in the cities of Judah and
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doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this in the streets of Jerusalem? The children
place. Do not trust in these lying words, say- gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and
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ing, ‘The temple of the LORD, the temple of the the women knead dough, to make cakes for
LORD, the temple of the LORD are these.’ the queen of heaven; and they pour out drink
5 offerings to other gods, that they may provoke
“For if you thoroughly amend your ways
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and your doings, if you thoroughly execute Me to anger. Do they provoke Me to anger?”
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judgment between a man and his neighbor, if says the LORD. “Do they not provoke them-
you do not oppress the stranger, the father- selves, to the shame of their own faces?”
less, and the widow, and do not shed innocent 20 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “Be-
blood in this place, or walk after other gods to hold, My anger and My fury will be poured
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your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in out on this place—on man and on beast, on
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